From the publisher: Filling a void in major works on legendary U.S. Navy carrier-based jet aircraft, this book is covers the design, development, flight testing, and initial service history of the Vought F-8 Crusader. Having become the Navy’s first fully operational supersonic aircraft, the F-8 through the Cuban Missile Crisis and Vietnam War as a potent MiG-killer, distinguishing itself as one of the most historically significant aircraft of the Cold War era.

Aspects of the F-8’s design and development range from earliest Navy BuAir specs through mock-up, prototype, flight test, and carrier qualifications. Original factory photos and technical illustrations provide a behind-the-scenes look at America’s aerospace industry in its heyday, when carrier jets routinely achieved supersonic performance in combat.

The Crusader, in all its variants, remains to this day as one of the most successful military aircraft ever built. Detailed coverage of this aircraft’s design and development, production, record flights, the XF8U-3 Super Crusader, significant NASA variants, and foreign operators augments the story of the F-8’s development.

FSM says: If you are building a Crusader, you will want this book for its detail photos, factory drawings, and chronology. Wondering about wings, flaps, landing gear, cockpit for your F-8 model? Not anymore!